Hanger



Aug. 5, 1958 t v. E. PRvos-r HANGER Filed Feb. 1'7, 1953 United States Patent Oi HANGER Virgile E. Provost, Cohoes, N. Y.

Application February 17, 1953, Serial No. 337,280

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-317) My invention relates to hangers and particularly to a shelf-like device which may be secured to a wall and which has associated therewith a plurality of clips adapted to engage stockings, towels, handkerchiefs and the like and hold them suspended while drying.

l One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device of ythis character which may be aixed to a wall in a bath or other room and which,`when not in use, may be folded substantially against the wall to which it is attached so that it will be out of the way. Another object iks-to provide a device of this character comprising a shelf having a plurality of clips slidably mounted in and depending from the bottom of said shelf in one or more parallel disposed rows so that the` spacing between any two clips which are selected to hold an article to be dried may be adjusted to engage the article at selected points adjacent the upper edge. Another object is to provide a small clip provided with a pair of jaws between which the article to be dried is engaged, and which said jaws are normally held in yieldingly closed relation but may be opened to engage the edge of a handkerchief or the like merely by pressing against the movable jaw and, at the same time, slipping the edge of the handkerchief or the like between said jaws and allowing them to close. A further object is to provide a hanging device of this character which may be of any desired size, have any desired number of clips associated therewith, and which, when not in use,` may be folded into an inconspicuous, out-of-the-way position.

I accomplish these objects by means of the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a fragmentary front view of my device showing the end portions thereof and having the central portion broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. l in the plane 3--3;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the right hand end of the device;

Fig. 5 is a side View of one of the clips; and

Fig. 6 is a rear view thereof.

Referring to the drawings- My device comprises a pair of end brackets represented generally by the numerals 1 and 2. Each of these brackets comprises two portions 3 and 4, and they are alike except that the portion 5 of the bracket 1 and the portions 6 of the bracket 2, which serve to secure the brackets to the wall by means of the screws 7, are inturned towards each other, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The portions 3 and 4 of the brackets are hinged together by means of the pins 8 so that, when they are in the positions shown in solid outline in Figs. l and 2, no portions of the hinges project from the opposed sides of the brackets which are plane throughout except immediately adjacent the hinges.

Each of the brackets is provided with a spring 9 surrounding the pin 8 which is biased normally to swing 2,846,l76 Patented Aug. 5,V 1958 theportio'ns 4 of the brackets into the position shown in dotted outlines at4 in Fig. l.

A shelf -10 is disposed between Vthe brackets and supported thereby. As shown, the shelf is formed of plastic material and has at each side thereof, adjacent the rear edge, a pin 11 molded or otherwise fixed therein. These pins fit in the slotted openings 12 (see Fig. 4) in the -fixed portions 3 of the brackets.

Adjacent its front edge, the shelf is provided with pins 13 at the sides thereof which are molded or otherwise fixed therein. When the parts of the hanger are in the postions shown in solid outlinesin Figs. l, 2 and 4, the pins 13 lit in slotted openings 14 in the portions 4 of the brackets. Thus, the shelf 10 is normally supported at each end by the pins 11 and 13. The outer ends of the pins 13 are threaded, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to receive the knurled nuts 1S by means of which the shelf is clamped tothe brackets.

The Vbottom of the shelf is provided with a plurality of longitudinally-extending ribs having dovetailed slots or grooves 16 therebetween in which the clips, represented generally by the numeral 17, are slidably mounted.

Each of these clips comprises a top portion 18 adapted slidably to fit in the slots 16 in the bottom of the shelf. Depending from the top of the clip is an element 19 lforming a' fixed ljaw thereof. Adjacent the top 18, the fixed, jaw-forming member is provided with a cylindrical opening 20 in which the movable jaw 21 is pivotally mounted. At their lower ends, the movable jaws are preferably cylindrical disks 22 which are of a size adapting them to be readily engaged by a thumb or finger to press them away from the fixed jaw, as shown at 21 in Fig. 5. In order to hold the jaws in assembled relation and the movable jaw normally but yieldingly in contact with the fixed jaw, I provide each clip with a bifurcated spring 23 which straddles the fixed jaw-forming member in a zone adjacent the base 18 so that the sides of said spring lie in contact with the sides of the movable jaw which is pivotally mounted in the passage 20. The free ends 24 of the springs bear against the disk portion of the movable jaw and the springs are biased normally to hold the jaws in closed relation.

The objects to be dried may thus have portions thereof inserted between the jaws of the clips merely by pushing the disk portions of the movable jaws away from the fixed jaws,.slipping a portion of the article to be dried into the space between the jaws, and allowing the movable jaw to be forced into contact therewith by the spring 23.

When the device is not in use, the shelf may be swung downwardly into the position shown in dotted outline 10' in Fig. 4, and the portions 4 of the brackets allowed to swing into the positions shown in dotted outline 4 in Fig. l by the action of the springs 9. To accomplish this end, the knurled nuts 15 are merely loosened which allow the shelf to be pulled forwardly until the pins 13 drop into the vertically-extending portions of the slots 14. As soon as the pins 13 pass out of the slots 14, the shelf with the clips thereon may be swung downwardly about the axis of the pins 11 into a position substantially parallel to the wall to which the hanger is attached, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4.

It will be noted that the bottom edges 25 of the portions 4 of the brackets are curved. These curved edges function as cams when the shelf is swung from the position shown at 10 in Fig. 4 into its normal operating position. In other words, as the shelf is pulled upwardly, the opposite side edges thereof will rub against the curved edges 25 of the bracket portions 4.and serve automatically to swing the portions 4 back to the position shown in solid outline in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4.

While my hanger, except for the springs, the pins 11 and 13, the nuts 15 and the hinge pins 8, may be formed of any suitable material, the device is very attractive when formed of plastic material, such as lucite.

It is to be understood that the words which I have used in the foregoing specification are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes, within the purview of the appended claims, maybe made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invent tion in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A clip for a hanger of the character described comprising a top portion; a portion depending from said top portion forming a fixed jaw of said clip `and having a cylindrical passage extending transversely therethrough adjacent said top portion; a movable jaw having a cylindrical portion pivotally fitted in said passage and fortning therewith a hinge for said movable jaw; and a spring formed of' a single piece of wire having spaced first portions embracing the sides of said fixed jaw and cooperating with said movable jaw for holding said movable jaw in hinge-forming relation with said fixed jaw, spaced second portions cooperating with said movable jaw and biased normallyl to hold said Vmovable jaw in contact with said xed jaw, and helical portions between said first and second portions; said top portion having outwardly projecting portions on oppositely disposed sides thereof adapted slidably to intert in a groove having sidewalls substantially complementary to said projecting portions adapted to suspend said hanger from ya shelf having said groove in the under side thereof.

2. In a hanger of the character described, a clip having a top portion provided with laterally extending projections adapted to support said clip suspended from the bottom of a shelf having a groove therein of a transverse cross section substantially complementary to said top portion when said portion in inserted in said groove; a portion depending from said top portion forming a xed jaw of said clip and having a cylindrical passage of a circumferential extent substantially in excess of 180 extending transversely therethrough adjacent said top portion; a movable jaw having a cylindrical portion pivotally iitted in said cylindrical passage and forming a hinge for said movable jaw; and a bifurcated spring laterally embracing said depending portion between the branches thereof, cooperating with said movable jaw and retaining the cylindrical portion thereofin hinge-forming relation with said depending portion and yieldingly holding said movable jaw in contact with said xed jaw.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 41,838 Frost Mar. 8, 1864 237,821 Claussen Feb. 15, 1881 422,056 Martin Feb. 25, 1890 2,170,799 Jones Aug. v29, 1939 2,227,106 Reinstierna Dec. 31, 1940 2,483,263 Cummings Sept. 27, 1949 2,517,385 Clark Aug. 1, 1950 -2,580,961 Schmedinghol Ian. 1, 1952 2,593,201 Saunders Apr. 15, 1952 

